


a study in matchmaking

by verdanthoney



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gay Zuko (Avatar), M/M, Mutual Pining, Touch-Starved Zuko (Avatar), aang is just vibing, idiots to lovers, katara is done with everyones shit, that applies to both zukka and bakoda in this story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verdanthoney/pseuds/verdanthoney
Summary: Zuko and Sokka try to play matchmaker, but things don’t go exactly as planned.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 121
Kudos: 755





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> eeee im so excited for this lil fic! the idea has been in my head for a while now and i finally decided to write it so i can get some writing practice in before i start my zukka big bang fic. as of now, this is the longest thing i've ever written! there is probably going to be two or three chapters total. originally i was only going to make it one big part but i couldn't wait to post it. i feel like this isn't my best work and it starts out kinda slow? sorry if it seems like that. also for some reason i kept switching between past and present tense, so sorry in advance if i didnt catch all of my mistakes. anyway if you like it, please leave a comment because i mostly wrote this to get some validation from strangers :)

Zuko’s nervous.

He’s nervous, and he knows he shouldn’t be. He doesn’t have to be. Or, that’s what he keeps telling himself. As he paces a hole into the small deck of the airship, eerily similar to the one he took to the Boiling Rock with Sokka what seems like a lifetime ago, he tries to reassure himself. Enough time has passed that he shouldn’t be viewed as a threat to the tribe, right? Surely, he’s visited enough times since the war ended that they’ll accept his presence?

_Oh, who am I kidding?_ he thinks, _Eight years of peacetime will never make up for the harm my family has caused_ _in the past_. 

Zuko breathes in the cold Arctic air as he approaches the Southern Water Tribe in an effort to calm himself, but it just makes a chill settle over his body. From a distance, he can see how much the tribe has grown over the years. The city hall looms over everything, tall and proud and turning pink with the sunset. It casts a shadow over one side of the city, where icy buildings glow with firelight from the inside. 

“A fire would be nice right about now,” he mutters, shivering and wrapping his arms around himself in an effort to keep warm. He wore his thickest robes for the trip, but it seems as though nothing from the Fire Nation could compete with the icy wind that’s biting through to his skin. He doesn’t bother bending into the furnace anymore; he’s exhausted from doing it the entire trip and his airship is almost over land anyway, so he lets it lose altitude on its own time.

Just as the ocean water below the ship gives way to hard packed snow, he hears voices yelling, and before he even peeks over the edge he knows who it is. 

Aang, Katara, and Sokka are all running up to the rapidly descending airship with wide grins on their faces. He watches as Aang’s glider unfolds, and then he’s up in the air and doing loops around the ship. Zuko can’t help the small smile that blooms on his face as Aang swoops down and glides effortlessly next to the belly of the ship.

“Sifu Hotman! It’s so good to see you!” he yells over the wind rushing in their ears. Zuko rolls his eyes at the nickname, but before he can even open his mouth to reply, Katara pops up on the other side of him, bending the snow up, up, up until she can see him on the deck.

“Zuko!” she cries, a warm happiness in her voice that he never expected he would hear directed at him when he first joined Team Avatar. They’ve come a long way since then, but he still feels grateful that he earned her trust. That he gets to be on the receiving end of her kindness. It almost makes him forget that he was anxious to be here. Almost.

Satisfied with their enthusiastic greetings, Aang and Katara drop back down to the ground. His tiny airship, which was really a glorified balloon, floats after them until it lands in the snow with a  _ thunk _ . Relieved to be out of the air, Zuko hops over the edge of the ship, not bothering to use the door on the side.

Immediately, Katara and Aang envelope him in a hug. He laughs against their shoulders, tentatively hugging them back. That was another thing he had to get used to after joining their side — all of them were incredibly touchy-feely. Well, besides Toph, unless she was punching him. Which in his book, didn’t count.

When Aang and Katara pull back, Zuko is surprised to feel another set of arms wrap around his shoulders. The smell of sealskin leather and sea salt and  _ Sokka _ fills his nose, and Zuko breathes it in greedily as his own arms wind around Sokka’s waist. Sokka hooks his chin over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t say hello to you up there, too,” Sokka murmurs, and then louder, “Not everyone has magical bending abilities around here!”

Zuko laughs and reluctantly pulls back from the embrace just in time to see Katara roll her eyes at her brother. “It’s alright. At least there are  _ some _ people here who don’t want to kill me upon seeing me,” he jokes.

When no one so much as huffs at what he said, he looks up to see three concerned pairs of eyes boring into him. Zuko averts his gaze and shuffles his feet. This is why he never tries to be funny; it always blows up in his face, just like seemingly everything else in his life.

“You know you’re welcome here, right Zuko?” Katara says gently, “We  _ invited _ you here because we need your help.”

“I know, I know,” Zuko sighs, but really, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t think he’ll ever  _ not _ feel like an intruder when he visits, but it’s a small price to pay compared to what has been done to the Southern Water Tribe in the last hundred years. He’s not even sure  _ why _ they asked him to come here. About a month ago, he had received a letter from Chief Hakoda requesting his presence to discuss trade routes that were disrupting fish migrations, which prevented the tribe from maintaining their food supply. Zuko quickly accepted the invitation, despite the fact that negotiations could have been made over a series of letters. He was more than willing to adjust trade routes, especially if it was impacting the tribe in such a negative way; it wouldn’t have required much effort on his part at all. But the thought of seeing his friends again swayed his decision. Although he had gotten used to it over the years, he was lonely in Caldera City, and it was nice to have an excuse to leave for a while.

Sokka ends the awkward silence by craning his neck up to look into the airship. “You didn’t bring any guards?” he asks, a curious frown on his face.

“No. I didn’t want to intimidate your people more than I already do. Besides, I don’t need guards everywhere I go. I can handle myself.” He tries to be reassuring, but all three of them still give him a  _ look _ . Zuko rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, tell that to the last five assassins,” Sokka mutters under his breath.

Ignoring the comment, Zuko gets back into the airship to throw his bag over his shoulder. He didn’t bring much; packing light is a habit that he’ll never rid himself of, it seems.

When he leaves the ship again, Aang claps a hand on his shoulder and exclaims, “Let’s head into the city. You’re just in time for dinner!”

*

Zuko’s anxiety returns full-throttle as they approach Hakoda’s home. The architecture is just as magnificent as the rest of the buildings in the city, with curvy, smooth designs that can only be achieved by a skilled waterbender. To distract himself, Zuko admires the water tribe insignia that is carved into the ice above the door. Sokka opens it without knocking and strolls in, with Aang and Katara hot on his heels. Zuko hangs back, hesitating, before stepping over the threshold and closing the door softly behind him. 

He sighs in relief as the warmth hits him full force after he turns around. He basks in it as he glances at his surroundings. The room they have entered is bigger than he expected it to be. There's a huge, soft-looking rug in the middle of the floor, with an iron stand at its center that is presumably used for holding hot pots and pans during meals. Various weapons, maps, and animal skins hang from the walls, leaving almost no spot uncovered. In the corner sits a cooking stove, complete with a fire burning lowly underneath a large iron pot. Crouched over the pot are Chief Hakoda and, if Zuko remembers correctly, Bato. The smell of soup hits him then, and he can’t help it when his stomach growls loud enough for the others to hear. Sokka glances back at him in amusement, and Zuko just glares in response, though there isn’t any real heat behind it. 

Zuko steps forward to deliver a formal greeting to Hakoda, but is interrupted before he can follow through.

“Hakoda, what are you  _ doing _ ? That’s too much ginger for five-flavor soup!”

“I know what I’m doing, Bato.”

“Clearly you don’t,” Bato replies, shuffling forwards and nudging Hakoda away from the steaming pot. “Give me that.” He snatches the large wooden spoon that Hakoda is holding and stirs the pot, squinting into the brown liquid.

“Hey! I have this completely under control!”

Bato just hums at the other man, who huffs in return. Out of the corner of his right eye, Zuko can see Sokka standing there with crossed arms, tapping his foot impatiently before clearing his throat. Bato and Hakoda both jerk apart at the noise and finally notice the foursome standing awkwardly in the front doorway

Hakoda stands up quickly, knees cracking as he does so. He takes a few steps until he is in front of Zuko, then holds out his arm. In turn, Zuko reaches forward and wraps his hand around Hakoda’s forearm while Hakoda does the same to him in a typical water tribe greeting. They shake once before retreating.

“It’s a pleasure to have you here, Fire Lord,” Hakoda says, a kind smile appearing on his face. Zuko searches his eyes for any mistrust or hidden anger, but to his surprise, finds none.

“Please, call me Zuko. Thank you for having me. I look forward to discussing the trade routes with you,” Zuko replies stiffly, leaning forward with a short bow. Hakoda returns the gesture before stepping back. 

“Sokka, did you ask Zuko about his sleeping arrangements?” Hakoda asks.

Sokka straightens up. “Oh, right! We wanted to give you the choice to stay in the guest room here or in the hotel near the city hall. It’s up to you.”

“I’ll take the guest room, please,” he murmurs quickly. Although he doesn’t exactly feel comfortable staying in the chief’s home, it certainly beats staying by himself in a hotel where everyone probably hates him.

Sokka nods and waves his hand. “Follow me. You can put your bags away and settle in before dinner.”

Hefting his bag higher on his shoulder, Zuko follows Sokka down the cold hallway before they stop at a door on the left. He opens it and gestures inside. “This is it. My room is right there if you need anything, okay?”

Glancing absently at Sokka’s open door across the hallway, Zuko nods and throws his bags haphazardly on the floor, not bothering to remove his robes or even survey the room. He trails after Sokka back to the main area. Right now, he just wants to talk with his friends rather than sit in a cold room by himself until dinner is ready.

When they get back to the main room, Aang and Katara have already sat down on the rug, heads close together as they talk in low voices. Sokka plops next to his sister and Zuko takes a seat next to Aang, thoroughly interrupting their conversation.

“What are you guys talking about?” Sokka asks, leaning back on his hands and raising an eyebrow at the couple.

Katara shushes her brother. “We were talking about Dad and Bato,” she murmurs quietly, eyeing the two men where they are still tending to the soup together. “They were doing it again.”

“Doing what again?” Zuko asks.

Sokka and Katara exchange a look, then say, “We’ll tell you later,” at the same time. Zuko rolls his eyes and lazily observes a map on the wall in lieu of replying.

Aang pipes up, “So, how are things in the Fire Nation? Anything going on I should know about?”

“Everything is fine,” Zuko sighs, “Things have settled down a lot since the colonies established their own governments. I’m lucky if I get to do something besides paper work all day.”

At the mention of the colonies, Aang perks up and begins rambling excitedly about his last visit to Cranefish Town. Zuko takes the opportunity to observe his friend, who has changed so much from the scrawny, naive boy he used to be. The war forced all of them to grow up too fast, but Aang never lost his bright personality. He’s now taller than all of them besides Sokka, but Zuko still thinks of him as a kid (which Aang resents). Zuko moves his eyes to Katara, who is gazing at Aang with a fond look as he gestures wildly while telling his story. Katara has matured into a beautiful young woman, her baby fat giving way to sharp angles and high cheekbones, much like her father’s.

Finally, his eyes drift to Sokka, but he’s startled to see that Sokka is already looking at him. When their eyes meet, Sokka lips quirk up into a little smile. If anyone looks like Hakoda, it’s Sokka. But there’s something softer about Sokka. Maybe it’s just because Zuko trusts him more.  _ Or, it’s because you have a giant crush on him _ , his brain helpfully supplies. Zuko shoves that thought away, and all thoughts that concern Sokka’s broad shoulders, muscular arms, and blue eyes.

Aang’s story tapers off as the front door opens, revealing Kanna holding a basket. With a  _ whoosh _ of air, Aang bounces to his feet and rushes to take the basket from her, returning to set it in the middle of their little half-circle.

“Hi, Gran Gran!” Sokka and Katara chorus.

“I brought bannock,” she announces, marching over to the two men in the corner and pushing them away from the soup. “Let’s see the damage,” she says slyly.

“I’m not  _ that _ bad at cooking!” Hakoda exclaims.

“I beg to differ,” Bato grumbles.

“Now, Bato, have you forgotten the agutuk incident? Or do I have to remind you?” Kanna says. Hakoda snorts at this, and Bato shoots him a glare. “Both of you — shoo!” Kanna snaps. Both men deflate and move to join everyone else on the rug. Zuko hides an amused smile behind his hand.

Hakoda clears his throat before addressing everyone. “Before we have a meeting tomorrow, I have to train with our warriors in the morning. Would you care to join us, Zuko?” Hakoda asks.

Surprised, Zuko nods and gives the man a tentative smile. “Yes, I would like that.”

“Did you bring your swords?” Sokka asks excitedly. “Maybe we can spar!”

“I did bring them. They’re back on the ship.”

“Cool! I’d love to kick your ass in front of the whole tribe,” Sokka jibes with a smirk.

“Alright. It’s a date,” Zuko says back. And then he promptly chokes on nothing but air after realizing what just came out of his stupid,  _ traitorous _ mouth. He ducks his head, not wanting to witness everyone’s reaction to his slip up.

Kanna saves the day by walking over and placing the pot of soup on the iron stand in the middle of the rug. Katara has already started handing out bowls and spoons. It reminds him of their days camping out before Sozin’s Comet. She was always the one to make sure everyone was fed and well-rested at the end of the day.

Zuko’s awkward moment is forgotten as he scarfs down his soup. He listens as everyone around him chats softly and tells stories, the clattering of spoons against bowls ringing in the air. Zuko absently wipes his nearly empty bowl clean with a piece of bannock, popping it into his mouth and chewing slowly as he tunes in to the conversation happening around him.

“— I swear, the squid I saw yesterday was  _ this big _ ,” Sokka cries, flinging his arms wide for emphasis. In doing so, a bit of soup flies off his spoon and lands on Bato’s face. Everyone laughs as Bato’s eyes roll to the ceiling and he heaves a long-suffering sigh. Just as he raises a hand to his face to wipe the soup, Hakoda grabs his wrist and lowers it.

“Here. Let me,” he says softly, taking the napkin in his lap and bringing it to Bato’s cheek. It seems like the whole room is holding its breath as Hakoda gently, almost reverently cleans Bato’s face. The taller man leans into Hakoda’s space with his eyes half-lidded, as if he’s in a daze.

Kanna clears her throat and gets to her feet, causing the two men to jump apart. Their skin is too dark for a flush to be noticeable, but unfortunately Zuko is always privy to second-hand embarrassment. He cringes in sympathy for them.

“Hakoda, Bato, come with me. I need you to sharpen my knives. Lets give these youngsters some space,” Kanna says with a wink and a smile. Said youngsters wave and mumble their goodbyes. Hakoda and Bato follow her without argument, shoulders brushing as they make their exit.

A second passes in silence after the door shuts. Then Sokka flops back onto the rug with a dramatic groan, throwing his arm over his eyes while Katara puts her head in her hands. Zuko watches on in confusion.

“Okay. Spill. What’s going on?” Zuko demands.

Sokka sits back up, rubbing his temples. “It’s Dad and Bato. They’re  _ insufferable _ . Constantly making googly eyes at each other, bickering like an old married couple, and they’re always touching! They’re worse than Aang and Katara, except Aang and Katara are actually together!” By the end of his rant, he’s practically yelling. Aang and Katara grumble about the comparison, but stay quiet.

Zuko hesitates, before asking, “Is it — normal? For a man to take another man as a lover, in the water tribe? Are they even allowed to do that?”

“It’s not common, but it isn’t illegal, either. People usually keep stuff like that hidden from the rest of the tribe because it’s a private affair. I suppose being the chief and the chief’s second in command wouldn’t exactly make for a low-profile relationship,” Sokka muses.

“It’s not just that. I don’t think they even realize how they feel about each other! It’s so frustrating!” Katara groans.

Sokka snaps his fingers. “That’s it!” he crows, “We need to  _ make them _ realize their feelings!”

Katara considers it, before nodding. “You’re right. Clearly, they’re too dense to figure it out on their own," she says, locking eyes with Aang.

“Guys, I’m not sure if meddling is a good idea…” Aang sighs, ever the pacifist, even in affairs that have nothing to do with war.

“No, we’re ending this once and for all. I don’t think I can deal with watching them pine for each other for the rest of my life,” Sokka declares.

“Great! You and Zuko can handle that!” Katara says, standing up quickly and pulling Aang with her.

“What? Why me?!” Zuko yelps, at the same time Sokka says, “You aren’t helping?”

“Aang and I are...busy. We don’t have time to help. You’ll just have to figure it out for yourselves.” she replies with a sweet smile. Aang stands next to her with an innocent look on his face. Zuko squints at them. He can tell Katara is only telling half of the truth, but decides not to push it.

“Ugh, gross. I really don’t want to know why you’re so busy that you can’t help us,” Sokka gripes with a grimace.

Katara smirks at her brother and tugs a blushing Aang with her down the hall where all the bedrooms are, both of them calling ‘goodnight’ over their shoulders.

And then there were two.

The fire from the cooking stove is dying out, making the room much cooler than it was when they first arrived. Zuko shivers and brings his knees to his chest.

“Are you cold?” Sokka asks.

“What do you think?” Zuko bites out, more harshly than he intended. He sighs and closes his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired from the trip here. It took a lot out of me.”

Sokka doesn’t reply, but Zuko can hear him get up and bustle around the room, picking up bowls and silverware and placing them in the wash basin. Zuko dozes to the sounds of Sokka cleaning up. After some time, he opens his good eye and watches Sokka pour some water from the tea kettle that was next to the coals into a cup. The smell of jasmine tea wafts through the air. His favorite.

Sokka gently sets the kettle back down and grabs the steaming cup, ambling over to Zuko and crouching in front of him. He offers the cup to Zuko with a small smile. Zuko unfolds his body enough to reach for it. His breath hitches as their fingers brush, and he grabs the cup quickly then, hoping Sokka didn’t hear his little moment of weakness.

“There,” Sokka murmurs, “that should warm you up a little and put you to sleep.” He uses Zuko’s shoulder as a crutch to stand up, and Zuko misses the weight of him as soon as it’s gone. “I’m going to get you some more furs for your bed so you won’t be as cold tonight.”

Zuko mumbles a quiet ‘thank you’, eyes drooping as he sips his tea.

Sokka comes back to retrieve him some time later. Zuko is almost asleep and groans as Sokka throws an arm around his waist to haul him up.

“C’mon, Fire Lord. Time for bed,” he grunts as he helps Zuko to his feet. Zuko knuckles at his eyes and stumbles to the guest room, where blankets and furs are pulled aside to reveal a soft mattress. The oil lamp on the nightstand lights the way to the bed and Zuko sighs in relief as he sits down on it, bending over to tug off his boots. He glances up at Sokka, who is leaning against the door frame, brows furrowed in thought.

“What are you thinking?” he asks, removing his signature gold headpiece and the pin from his hair that is holding it in a half-up, half-down style. He usually likes to tie his hair into a loose bun for bed so it doesn’t get in his face in his sleep, but he’ll make an exception for his time in the South Pole if it will help him stay warm at night. When he realizes Sokka hasn’t replied to his question, he looks up at the other man who is already staring at him with wide eyes. “Sokka?” he asks hesitantly.

“Your hair is getting really long,” Sokka says smoothly. Zuko blushes at the unexpected comment. Without missing a beat, the other man continues. “And I was thinking about what we should do with Dad and Bato. I’ll whip up a plan during training tomorrow when we’re all in the same place.”

Zuko is too tired to think about strategizing on how to get Bato and Hakoda together, so he just nods and mutters something about how that sounds like a good idea. He climbs under the furs and reaches over to turn the knob on the oil lamp until it's almost out, but not quite. Then he finally,  _ finally _ collapses back down, burrowing into the bed until only his eyes and the top of his head are in sight. He feels hands tucking the furs and blankets more firmly around him before he falls into a much needed deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka initiates the plan to get Bato and Hakoda together.

Zuko usually rises with the sun, but that’s not the case this morning as someone calls his name softly, gently pulling him from sleep. He opens his eyes only to see nothing but darkness, and he realizes with a start that he submerged himself completely under the blankets in his sleep. Zuko pops his head out of the nest of furs to see Sokka grinning at him.

“What time s’it?” he slurs.

“It’s early morning. Training starts soon, so it’s time to get up.” Sokka slaps his thigh underneath the blankets and Zuko jumps.

“How are you up before me? That never happens.”

“I guess you were pretty tired,” Sokka says, shrugging as he stands up. “There’s food out there when you’re ready. Oh, and I left you a parka to wear while you’re here.”

Zuko groans and sits up as Sokka leaves, the furs he was wrapped in pooling around his waist. He pushes them away and crosses his legs to meditate for a while, using the flame from the oil lamp to measure his breaths. Meditating will always be part of his morning routine, no matter where he is. After a while, though, the cool air sneaking under his clothes makes it too difficult to concentrate, so Zuko makes quick work of changing for the day. He switches out his clothes that he travelled in into something fresh and throws Sokka’s parka over it. Immediately, he is overwhelmed with the scent of the other man, and takes a selfish second to bury his nose into the furry collar to inhale. It’s comforting to be surrounded by the smell of his friend when he is in a place so unfamiliar to him.

Before joining everyone for breakfast, Zuko brushes his hair and pulls it into a topknot, eyeing the hairpiece that sits atop his bag and electing to ditch it for the time being. It’s not as if he isn’t recognizable enough, anyway.

Breakfast is a fast-paced affair, everyone eager to get started with their day. Before he knows it, Sokka is dragging him out the door to the training grounds on the outskirts of the city, sword on his hip. They make a quick pit stop to grab Zuko’s dao swords from the airship before continuing on. It’s once the training grounds are in sight, flush with warriors going through some stretches and warm up forms, that Zuko realizes Sokka never laid out the details of his plan for Bato and Hakoda. He doesn’t get a chance to ask, either, because Sokka starts stretching with everyone else as soon as they arrive. Deciding to worry about it later, Zuko does the same.

When Hakoda orders the warriors to choose a sparring partner and spread out, Zuko and Sokka share an excited grin. They walk a few paces away from the other pairs and pull out their swords. Zuko takes a deep breath, centering himself. It has admittedly been too long since the last time he practiced with his swords. He still meditates every morning, but even finding the time to practice firebending has been difficult lately.

But Zuko is a survivor, and that will never change. Which is why he is ready when Sokka makes the first move, swinging his sword out in front of him in a wide arc. Zuko hops back and crosses his swords in front of him just as Sokka swings again, straight down this time. Metal meets metal with a loud clang, both men staring at each other over their swords with their foreheads nearly touching. Zuko can’t help the exhilarated smirk that creeps onto his face, a matching one on Sokka’s. This is the most alive he’s felt in, well…years.

Zuko uses his swords to shove Sokka back, then attacks with quick swipes on both sides of the other man. His eyes search for a weakness in between jabs, but find none. Sokka blocks every attempt, and they dance around each other for what feels like hours. Eventually, Zuko begins to tire, not used to the heavy coat weighing him down and limiting his movement. When he’s momentarily distracted with regaining his footing in the fresh, slippery snow, Sokka slips behind him and rams the hilt of his sword into Zuko’s back. It’s not hard enough to hurt, but it does knock him to his knees and make him drop one of his swords. Zuko retaliates by sweeping his remaining sword towards the back of Sokka’s knees, where it makes contact. Sokka lets out a surprised _oof_ as his legs buckle and he crumples to the ground.

Both men stare at each other for a second in astonishment, then begin laughing uncontrollably. 

“I guess we’re pretty evenly matched now, huh?” Sokka muses, getting to his feet and holding his hand out for Zuko to take. Zuko accepts the offer and Sokka hauls him up, a twinkle in his eye. _Spirits, he looks good like this,_ Zuko thinks, with a few strands of hair falling out of his wolf’s tail to frame his face and sweat beading on his temples, even in the cold.

It’s then that Zuko notices the lack of noise around them, and he takes a moment to look around. His smile slowly falls from his face at what he sees. Nearly every warrior is staring at them in awe, many of them with their mouths hanging open, spears resting loosely at their sides. Zuko’s embarrassed gaze drifts to Hakoda, who has a proud look on his face. 

“Sokka, Zuko, that was very impressive. Perhaps you could split up and teach these men some of what you know?” Hakoda asks.

Zuko still doesn’t fully trust Hakoda (he probably never will), but he can’t find a reason to say no, so he only nods. The water tribe warriors divide themselves into two groups, and Sokka and Zuko spend the rest of the training session showing each one some defensive moves. Zuko enjoys the challenge of helping them figure out the best way they can deflect his attacks with their spears.

When Hakoda finally dismisses everyone, and the warriors disperse to talk amongst themselves as they get ready to leave, Zuko wanders over to Sokka, who is crouched on the ground fiddling with something. Upon closer inspection, he sees that Sokka is making a snowball. A very large, hard-packed snowball.

Zuko takes a step back, just in case. “Uh, what are you doing?” he asks warily 

Sokka stands up with a devilish glint in his eyes. “Initiating the first part of our plan,” he whisper-yells. He leans in closer to Zuko’s space, until his mouth is hovering over Zuko’s ear. “Just follow my lead,” he murmurs, and Zuko shivers as Sokka’s hot breath hits his skin.

Sokka takes a step away, and calls Bato over while holding the snowball behind his back. They begin to chat about how well the training session went. When there’s a lull in the conversation, Sokka takes the opportunity to pull his arm back and hurl the snowball with deadly precision at the back of Hakoda’s head. It lands with a wet splat. Hakoda jumps, whirling around with a glare.

“Who did that?” he booms, eyes narrowed.

“It was Bato!” Sokka says innocently, pointing to the taller man next to him. Zuko realizes now that calling Bato over was a ploy to get him away from Hakoda, and it worked perfectly.

Bato splutters indignantly. “What?! No it wasn’t, you little sh—” 

What was turning into a scathing insult is interrupted by a snowball hitting him square in the mouth. Zuko watches in what feels like slow motion as pieces of snow melt and slide off Bato’s face as he stands there, frozen in shock.

Hakoda smirks. “Snowball fight?” he asks with a raised brow.

Bato shakes himself off and gives a decisive nod. “Snowball fight,” he confirms.

Zuko gulps as the training grounds erupts in chaos. He looks around frantically for cover, but finds with dismay that there really isn’t any. They train here for a reason; the terrain is relatively flat. Just as he turns around to make a break for the safety of the city, he notices too late the snowball heading towards him. It hits him on the side of his neck and he hisses when some of the snow pools in the hollow created by his collarbone as it melts. He whips around to look for his attacker and spots Sokka grinning smugly with his arms crossed.

Zuko glowers at him, steam rising from his body as he wills the snow to evaporate from his skin. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

“Is that a promise?” Sokka shoots back, and _oh, is he flirting? _Are they flirting?_ _

Instead of dwelling on it, Zuko leaps forward and tackles Sokka to the ground. In the split second that the other man is stunned, Zuko grabs a handful of snow and shoves it down the front of Sokka’s coat. Sokka shrieks with laughter and thrashes underneath Zuko, but there’s a wide smile on his face indicating that he’s enjoying himself. They grapple with one another, rolling around in the snow like they’re kids again instead of men in their twenties that are world-weary and hardened by war.

At some point, Zuko starts to get tired and lets Sokka pin him to the ground. They’re both breathing heavily, twin smiles on their faces. Zuko can’t remember the last time he smiled this much in one day, but he has a feeling it has something to do with the man sitting on top of him. The very attractive, very heavy man. Reluctantly, Zuko pushes Sokka off him and he obediently goes, pressing into Zuko’s side instead. Zuko is too busy admiring his best friend to notice that Sokka is distracted by something else, until he nudges Zuko’s shoulder to get his attention and jerks his head at whatever it is on the other side of the training grounds.

Zuko sits up on his elbows to get a better look at what Sokka wants him to see. The snowball fight is starting to die out, but men are still shouting and laughing with glee. Hakoda and Bato are in the middle of it all, in a position similar to the one Sokka and Zuko were in a moment ago. Hakoda is basically straddling the taller man, and Bato is propped up by his long arms which brings them nearly nose to nose. They seem oblivious to the action still going on around them, only focused on each other. Zuko sees them both lean a tiny bit closer, so close that their foreheads are almost touching. They just have to close the distance a little more, and they’ll be —

The moment is ruined when a stray snowball whizzes by their faces and they jerk apart, both of them rubbing the back of their necks sheepishly.

“Damn it!” Sokka swears, leaning back on his heels. “That was so close!”

Zuko laughs at the dejected look on Sokka’s face. “Don’t be so upset. That was progress!” 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Sokka sighs. He hauls himself to his feet with a wince. “We’ll have to figure something else out. But in the meantime, we should go get some lunch before that meeting. Want to join me? We have a restaurant that serves spicy Fire Nation noodles, now!”

Zuko starts, scrambling to his feet. He almost forgot about the reason he was here in the first place. Brushing the snow from his clothes, he directs a smile at Sokka and links their arms together. “I would love to.”

As they walk back to the city arm in arm, Zuko tries not to think about the fact that after the meeting later, he won’t be needed here anymore. He won’t have a reason to stay. He’ll have to go back home, to his giant, lonely palace. The thought is almost enough to sour his good mood, so he focuses on the warmth of Sokka pressed close to his side instead and tries not to think about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry this took forever! this chapter kicked my ass, i honestly didnt know what to write. my problem is that this fic revolves around one scene and i already wrote it, so im having a hard time concluding the story. but im definitely gonna finish it. one more chapter after this one! i had a bad day today and i would love some comments telling me what you think! sorry if its a little awkward/choppy at some parts. like i said, this chapter fought me every step of the way. my next fic is definitely gonna be past tense bc fuck present tense. whyd i do this to myself lol

While Sokka leads him through the snowy streets to their lunch destination, Zuko takes the opportunity to observe the people going about their day-to-day lives. Zuko likes that it’s less crowded here than in Caldera; he can actually see what everyone is doing. In front of them, a few hollering children dart around a building. They walk by one man sitting outside in the sun, carving what appears to be knives made from bone. Sokka tugs him along, and Zuko grimaces as they pass a group of women on their knees, scraping away at a large sealskin hide. He cranes his neck to keep watching them as they move further away, which is why Zuko bumps right into Sokka’s side, having not realized that he stopped walking.

Sokka opens the door to the restaurant they’re standing in front of, gesturing for him to go first. “After you,” he says with a wink.

Zuko rolls his eyes and tries not to be nervous as he trudges inside and all heads turn to them. He can’t help it when his back straightens and his shoulders hunch with tension, like he’s trying to make himself look big and curl into himself at the same time. His social anxiety is forgotten for a brief moment when Sokka’s warmth crowds up behind him. Even through his thick coat, he can feel the pressure of Sokka’s hand on his lower back guiding him to a seat in a booth next to a window. He plops down across from Zuko, whose skin is tingling both from the curious gazes of the restaurant’s other patrons and from the memory of Sokka’s hand on his back.

They chat idly over a pot of tea while they wait for their food, which smells amazing when it’s eventually set in front of them. Sokka wasn’t lying when he said the Fire Nation noodles from this place were spicy. Zuko hums happily as he slurps up another mouthful, ravenous from all the exercise he got that morning. Briefly, he sucks his thumb into his mouth to rid it of a stray drop of broth. He sneaks a glance over to Sokka. He’s looking right at Zuko, chopsticks limp in his hand and a distance in his eyes that Zuko doesn’t really like to see.

Zuko kicks him under the table, and in a moment of bravery, decides to let their ankles curl together. “Hey. You with me?” he asks.

Sokka jerks and brings his eyes up to Zuko’s, a sheepish look crossing his face. “Sorry,” he sighs, “I got distracted.” He shakes himself out and returns to his meal, nudging his boot back against Zuko’s and keeping it pressed there. If anyone asked him, Zuko would blame the heat of the restaurant for making his cheeks flush in that moment.

“Distracted by what? You seem to be zoning out a lot,” Zuko prompts. He shoves another large bite of noodles into his mouth to quell his emotions.

Sokka clears his throat and waves his hand dismissively. “It's nothing. I just- I think I have another plan for Operation Get Dad a Boyfriend.”

Zuko chokes on his noodles. “Operation  _ what _ ?” he rasps after the coughing subsides.

Sokka grins at him. “You heard me.”

“You can’t seriously be calling it that,” Zuko groans.

“I really, seriously am calling it that, and nothing can stop me from doing so,” Sokka snickers. For a mortifying split-second, Zuko allows himself to think about doing something like this to his dad, but the thought is pushed away almost as quickly as it came. He’s not sure where it came from in the first place, but he cringes inwardly at the fact that it popped up at all. “ _ As I was saying _ , I have a plan. After the meeting, we’re going to invite them to go check on the crab traps I set up a couple days ago. But once we’re all ready to leave, I’m going to pretend you and I have, uh…” he ponders for a second, finger tapping his chin. “Important Avatar duties to attend to! Then they’ll be stuck on a boat together with just each other for company, and hopefully that’s when the magic happens. Yeah, that’ll work,” he mumbles to himself.

Zuko snorts and pushes his now empty bowl away, leaning back in his seat and lacing his fingers over his stomach. He rubs the inside of Sokka’s calf with his foot as he asks, “How are we supposed to know if the plan works if we aren’t there with them?”

Under the table, Sokka traps Zuko’s leg in between both of his, squeezing slightly. Zuko’s heart jumps at the intimacy of it. He didn’t realize playing footsie under the table would lead to whatever they’re doing, but he certainly isn’t complaining at the contact. Sokka carefully considers the question before he answers, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I think if they get together, it will be obvious that something changed between them,” he decides with a firm nod.

Zuko smiles and nods back. “Well, I’ll have to take your word for it when the time comes.”

They leave the restaurant shortly after that, shoulders brushing as they make their way to the city hall. The icy blue steps shine in the early afternoon sunlight.

The meeting goes by without a hitch, with Zuko and Hakoda easily able to agree on a new trade route that hopefully wouldn’t disrupt the fish as much. Discussing trade with Hakoda wasn’t as terrible as he initially thought it would be. Of course, the fact that Sokka was leaning over the back of his chair for the entirety of the meeting, breath ghosting over his neck as he pointed out new routes on the map in front of them helped make it more bearable. It didn’t, however, do anything to subdue his inescapable feelings for the other man.

Zuko sighs after signing the new treaty that a scribe drafted for them during the meeting. Despite the fact that the new route will fix things, he still feels inexplicably guilty for causing the Southern Water Tribe trouble and feels the need to apologize.

He pulls himself up from his chair and meets Hakoda’s eyes. “I’m sorry for the hardship this must have brought to your tribe. If there is anything else the Fire Nation can do to help, please, let me know. I’ll admit that I’m not very knowledgeable about, uh, fish behavior, but—”

Zuko’s words die on his lips as Hakoda holds up a hand to cut off his nervous rambling, standing up from the table as well. “It wasn’t your fault, Zuko. After all, I agreed to sign off on the other trade route too. It was out of our control.” He smiles gently at Zuko, and something inside him uncoils. He can feel himself slumping a little with relief.

His relief is short-lived as Sokka throws an arm around his shoulders. “Blah, blah, blah. Enough talk about trade! Zuko and I are going to bring in the crab traps and we were wondering if you and Bato wanted to come along.”

Hakoda’s face lights up and he nods enthusiastically. “Yes, I’ll go get him. We’ll meet you at the boats.” The eagerness in his steps doesn’t go unnoticed by Zuko or Sokka as Hakoda abruptly turns and leaves the room. Zuko shares an amused glance with Sokka, who steers him out of the building, arm still around him.

At some point on their walk out of the city to the coast, Sokka’s arm trails off his shoulders and slips around his waist instead. Zuko’s heart jumps in his chest and he shoots his friend a confused look, but Sokka is on his left side, making it impossible to see his face clearly. Zuko hesitates, before wrenching his left arm out from where it’s squished between them and wrapping it around Sokka’s waist. It feels good to be this close to him, hips bumping as they walk together. For once, Sokka doesn’t seem to have anything to say to fill the silence, which makes Zuko hyper aware of everywhere their bodies touch. By the time they reach the shore, canoes lined up neatly in the snow, Zuko is buzzing in his skin. He doesn’t want to let go of Sokka yet.

As they come to a stop in front of one of the canoes, they turn towards each other. Zuko reluctantly removes his arm from around Sokka and goes to take a step back. But then he feels Sokka’s other arm encircling him and tugging him closer. Startled, Zuko glances up at Sokka. The fondness on his friend’s face as he gazes down at Zuko makes warmth bubble up inside of him. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks warily. 

“I missed you,” is Sokka’s simple response.

The swell of emotion that rises up in Zuko pushes a shuddering breath out of him. He closes the distance between them, tucking his face into Sokka’s shoulder and lifting his arms to squeeze around Sokka’s neck. “I missed you too. You have no idea,” he chokes out.

They stay like that for some time, swaying together as gusts of wind hit them periodically. It’s probably the longest hug of Zuko’s life. He didn’t realize how much he needed one until he’s enveloped in it, in the warmth and safety of Sokka’s arms bringing them as close as possible to each other. The hollowness inside of him that’s undoubtedly caused by loneliness seems to shrink the longer they stay that way, and  _ Agni _ , the thought of letting go pains him. Sokka feels like peace, and all Zuko knows is that letting go of him right now would feel like losing a battle. He knows that isn’t possible, that it doesn’t make any sense, because they’ve already lived through a war. They ended it. But that doesn’t erase the fact that Zuko is always fighting a never ending war inside of himself. A war about what he is and isn't allowed to have.

Someone clears their throat, and they jerk apart in surprise to see Bato and Hakoda standing near them, eyebrows raised. Zuko mourns the loss of Sokka’s arms immediately and can’t help the stab of pain that laces through him.  _ All good things must come to an end _ , he thinks bitterly, Uncle Iroh’s words ringing in his head with an unpleasant air of truth around them. 

Sokka and Zuko don’t talk as the four of them prepare the canoe. He listens in a detached sort of way as Hakoda and Bato bicker over who gets to sit where, who has to row, and who has to handle the giant crabs should they find any. Just as the two older men are settled into the boat, Sokka makes his move.

“Oh no!” he gasps dramatically, slapping a palm to his forehead. “I forgot that Zuko and I were going to help Aang with some important Avatar stuff! Looks like you two will have to go on your own! Sorry!” 

Bato and Hakoda exchange a look and Zuko fidgets nervously at their wordless communication. Finally, Hakoda sighs, levelling his stare on Sokka. “Fine. On one condition. You’re cooking the crabs for dinner.”

Sokka grins and nods. “Deal,” he says, right before he grabs Zuko’s gloved hand and starts jogging back towards the city.

Once they’re farther away, Sokka slows down and squeezes Zuko’s hand before letting go. He sneaks a glance behind them to see that Hakoda and Bato are already chatting and laughing with smiles on their faces as the boat becomes smaller and smaller in the distance.

“Well, I hope that works,” Sokka sighs, reaching up to tighten his wolf tail. “This whole matchmaking thing is a little harder than I thought it would be.”

Zuko laughs bitterly. “I’m sure my advisors would love to have your help in the Fire Nation. They’ve been trying to find me a wife for months now.”

“Seriously? You’re only twenty-five, what’s the rush?” Sokka asks incredulously.

Zuko shakes his head. “I don’t know. I think it’s more of a public image thing. If I have a wife, people will feel like the Fire Nation is more stable. Marriage brings the promise of an heir to the throne.”

Sokka is silent for a beat, then replies, “Well, you could always do a fake marriage with Mai to get them off your back.”

“I couldn’t do that to Mai,” Zuko sighs. “She deserves someone who actually loves her.”

“Aren’t there women falling at your feet? I mean, you’re the Fire Lord. There must be someone willing to take on that role.” There’s an edge to Sokka’s voice that wasn’t there a moment ago. Zuko looks over and decides not to comment on the sudden storminess in his friend’s eyes.

“I guess you’ve forgotten about the giant scar on my face—”

That startles a loud laugh out of Sokka, and he slaps a hand over his mouth. “Would you believe me if I said I did forget about it?” he asks, voice dripping with mirth.

Zuko scoffs. “You’re lying.”

“No, really. I don’t even notice it anymore,” Sokka says earnestly.

“Really?” he asks quietly, unable to believe that his most ugly, defining feature can be simply forgotten by anyone, let alone  _ Sokka _ .

Sokka shrugs. “Yeah. It was definitely, uh, hard to look away from at first. But it’s just part of your face at this point. It doesn’t even stand out to me anymore.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Zuko snorts, kicking at a clump of snow and tilting his head back to look at the sky. Any trace of sunlight from the morning is gone, replaced by an overcast sky and a promise of more snow. The white light is blinding and he looks back down at the ground, his good eye watering. 

“I think it makes you look ruggedly handsome,” Sokka says, a teasing grin on his face.

Zuko barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “At least someone thinks so.”

Sokka clears his throat. “So… are you leaving tomorrow?”

The happiness he was just feeling melts away, replaced by resignation. “Yes. If I stay away for too long, my work starts to pile up and it gets overwhelming.” At the dejected look on Sokka’s face, he rushes to add, “I wish I could stay longer. I don’t want to leave yet.”  _ I don’t want to leave you _ .

Sokka smiles at him, a little sadly. “I wish you could stay, too.”

The rest of their walk passes by with a depressing silence, both men dreading their inevitable separation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like the scene where they hug was a little weird. it seemed off when i was writing it and i honestly wasnt even planning on including it, it just kind of appeared. did y'all like it or nah?


	4. Chapter 4

Dinner that night is when everything goes to shit.

True to his word, Sokka prepares dinner with the crabs that Bato and Hakoda bring back from their little excursion on the boat. Sokka removes the crab meat from its shell and shreds it so it’s ready to be wrapped in rolls of seaweed later. Zuko has been tasked with cooking rice and vegetables for Aang’s rolls since he doesn’t eat crab. They’re silent as they work, their earlier conversation dampening the mood significantly. Sokka has been eerily quiet since they got back, only replying with short words in a clipped tone. Zuko wishes he could turn back time to the moment he arrived, just so that his fast-approaching departure wasn’t hanging over their heads. 

Across the room, Bato and Hakoda sit close together on the floor, knees brushing with their matching cross-legged positions. They’re sharing a large pelt that hangs over their shoulders, cups of tea in their hands as they slowly warm up from being on the boat all afternoon. Zuko watches as Hakoda throws his head back with laughter at something Aang says and rests his hand on Bato’s knee. His eyes widen as Katara glares and crosses her arms at the scene and moves from her seat next to Aang over to Sokka and Zuko.

“Have you even been trying to get them together? They’re acting worse now than they were last night!” she hisses at Sokka, grabbing a crab claw and angrily picking white meat out of it. 

Sokka narrows his eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact, we  _ have _ been trying. Which is more than I can say about you, by the way. Zuko and I have been doing all the work!” he snaps.

Katara throws her now empty shell into the bucket at their feet. “Maybe I  _ should  _ have done more. Then you idiots would have realized you’re in love with each other and I wouldn’t have to watch you all pine constantly,” she growls. 

Zuko snaps his head to the side, locking eyes with Katara. Her mouth is open in shock and she looks like a guilty kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Sokka’s voice interrupts the tense silence, confusion lacing through every word.

“What are you sayi—”

“Hey guys, get over here! I want to show you a dance!” Aang yells, cutting Sokka off.

Katara scrambles to her feet, relief on her face as she accepts the out Aang has graciously provided. Sokka groans and follows her, dragging his feet the whole way. Zuko gets up too, because he knows Aang won’t let him get out of this. As he makes his way over, Zuko notes that Bato and Hakoda look regretful, like they’re the ones who subjected everyone to this fate.

“Okay, so this is a fast-paced dance that requires a partner at all times,” Aang begins. Zuko hears Sokka murmur a sarcastic “awesome” under his breath, and elbows him gently in the side. Sokka nudges him back, and when Zuko chances a look at him, a barely-there smile is on his lips. Zuko tries not to feel too triumphant that he put it there, but he can’t help it after dealing with Sokka’s sour mood all afternoon.

Aang quickly explains the steps to the dance, using Katara for a partner to demonstrate. Once everyone has practiced on their own a few times to get the feel for it, Aang grins and declares them all ready. He pulls a small wooden instrument out of his pocket and places it in his mouth.

“What’s that?” Zuko asks curiously.

“It’s an Air Nomad instrument!” Aang says excitedly, his speech muffled as he talks through the wood in his mouth. “I found it at a market in Ba Sing Se and fixed it up. Only an airbender can play it.” He demonstrates by taking a deep breath before blowing, hard, the way only an airbender can. A warm melody fills the air, and Zuko shivers as the music permeates the room. It was louder than Zuko expected it to be, the sound carrying surprisingly well throughout the large space.  _ It makes sense _ , he thinks, that the Air Nomads would create music that seems to wash over everything, just like a breeze would.

Aang removes the instrument from his mouth to say, “Oh, I forgot to mention this, but every time the music changes, you have to switch partners with someone! I think we’re ready to start now.”

With that, Aang begins to play a quick tune, different from the one he showed them moments before. He bounds up to Zuko, claiming him as his first partner with a playful glint in his eyes. Zuko looks at Sokka, wide-eyed, as he gets swept up in Aang’s rigorous movements. Throughout the dance, he can see that Sokka is partnered with Bato (an amusing sight, indeed), while Katara is engaged in a surprisingly adept dance with her father. Aang doesn’t falter once, with the music or his steps, as Zuko stumbles along and tries not to step on his friend’s feet. Distantly, he wonders how in Agni’s name he ended up here.

They switch partners once, twice, and a third time when Aang changes the music, just as they said they would, and Zuko is so absorbed in trying not to lose his footing that he doesn’t realize whose hands are in his own until he looks up.

Sokka’s eyes meet his and the smile that was already on that handsome face widens. He looks  _ so beautiful _ like this, happy, carefree, with loose strands of hair falling in his face that have come loose from his wolf tail. Zuko tries not to think about how well their hands fit together, how well they move together, how  _ right _ it all feels. He’s always had a hard time asking for what he wants, but with Sokka right here in front of him, it’s hard not to beg for it. For anything Sokka is willing to give him.

All of a sudden, Sokka’s steps falter and stop altogether. Zuko stumbles and asks why he isn’t dancing anymore, but Sokka doesn’t respond. Zuko follows his distracted gaze to Bato and Hakoda and  _ spirits _ , are they  _ kissing _ ? 

Zuko takes in the scene, baffled. Bato has both hands on Hakoda’s cheeks, holding his face up to his own like if he lets go, Hakoda will float away. Hakoda’s arms are wrapped around Bato’s waist, bringing them close together. They both look like they’re struggling not to smile into the kiss. Zuko’s staring is interrupted by Aang, who has started cheering in lieu of playing music. Katara, hand-in-hand with Aang, is smiling softly. Zuko glances back at Sokka, whose shocked expression quickly morphs into one of joy as he joins in with Aang’s yelling. 

Bato and Hakoda break apart at the noise and look at them in… confusion?

“Why are you doing that?” Hakoda asks, taking Bato’s hand in his own as he directs the question at Aang and Sokka.

Aang slowly lowers his hands as he stops cheering and looks unsurely at his friends. Now, it’s their turn to look confused.

“What do you mean? You guys finally got together! Operation Get Dad A Boyfriend actually worked!” Sokka laughs. Zuko rolls his eyes at the truly atrocious name that Sokka dubbed their mission.

“But we  _ didn’t  _ just get together. We’ve been seeing each other for, well… months, actually,” Hakoda says sheepishly, shuffling closer to Bato.

Sokka’s jaw drops. “ _ What _ ?” he squawks.

Katara doesn’t seem to be faring any better than her brother at the news. “You’ve been together this whole time? Why didn’t you tell us? How could you keep that from us? We would have been happy for you. We  _ are _ happy for you!” She sounds angry, but Zuko can hear the hurt simmering underneath her tone.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, I wasn’t—  _ we _ weren’t sure how you would react. We’ve been meaning to tell you, we just wanted to figure out how to go about it, first,” Hakoda says guiltily.

“But you kept it from us for this long?” Sokka asks, his voice sounding strangled. “What, did you think we would be mad because Bato is a man? You know we don’t care—”

“It’s not because I’m a man,” Bato interrupts, finally speaking up, “it’s because I’m not your mother.”

A tense silence falls over the room. Hakoda is looking at the floor, unable to meet his children’s eyes. Zuko watches Katara and Sokka exchange worried looks, communicating without speaking. Eventually, Katara steps forward and takes Hakoda’s free hand in her own.

“Dad, you deserve to be happy. We’ll never stop loving Mom, and we’ll never forget about her, but… she’s gone. And I think she would want you to be happy,” Katara says softly, smiling gently at her father. “Right, Sokka?” she asks, looking over at her brother. Sokka firmly nods his head in agreement.

Hakoda looks back and forth between his children, eyes shining. He sighs shakily and holds out his arms. “Come here,” he murmurs.

Sokka and Katara smile as Hakoda envelopes them in his arms, pressing a kiss to each of their heads. Zuko relaxes as the tension in the room finally seems to melt away, replaced by a palpable relief radiating off of both Hakoda and Bato. Everyone laughs as Aang strides over and throws his long arms around the family.

Katara pulls back from the hug and wipes her eyes. “Well, I guess my master plan didn’t work,” she sighs.

“I knew you kids were up to something,” Hakoda laughs, eyes jumping between all of them accusingly.

“We’re not kids,” Zuko grumbles as Sokka interjects with, “Hey, I’d say it was pretty successful. Dad and Bato ended up together in the end.”

Katara’s eyes slowly travel from her brother over to Zuko, lingering on him for a second until she averts her gaze completely. “Right,” she mumbles, “that was the whole plan.”

In that moment, Zuko finally understands what Katara’s motive was in all of this. Sokka seems to be coming to the same conclusion, as his eyes dart over to where Katara was looking, over to  _ Zuko _ , and back to his sister. 

“Wait,” he says slowly, drawing the word out. “Let me get this straight; you wanted Zuko and I to get Bato and Dad together by ourselves, and that was supposed to indirectly get Zuko and I together, too?” he asks, voice hard.

“Um, maybe?” Katara squeaks, avoiding Sokka’s eyes. 

Zuko watches as Sokka clenches his jaw and crosses his arms angrily. “Katara. We’ve talked about this.”

She looks at him pleadingly. “I know. But—”

“No!” Sokka snaps. “You know that  _ this _ ,” he says, gesturing at the space between him and Zuko, “wouldn’t work.”

Zuko tries not to flinch at Sokka’s words, at the venom in his tone. Maybe, all this time, he was imagining the longing looks they exchanged, the lingering touches, the compliments and sweet words spoken to each other. He was so naive, so stupid,  _ so _ —

“How can you know it won’t work if you don’t even try?” Katara yells. “It’s so obvious how you feel about each other!”

Sokka looks at the ceiling and shakes his head, eyes watering. “I can’t do this right now,” he chokes out, brushing past Aang to walk down the hallway. The door to his room shuts with a soft click.

Zuko startles from staring down the hallway where Sokka disappeared when Hakoda loudly clears his throat.

“So, uh… how about those crab rolls?” he asks, hurrying over to where Zuko and Sokka abandoned their dinner preparations. Bato snorts and follows him, not before shooting Zuko a sympathetic look.

Zuko takes a step towards the hallway, but is stopped by Aang’s hand on his shoulder. He looks over at his friend.

“Give him some time to think and calm down,” Aang suggests. His eyes are kind and wise, so Zuko decides to listen to him. He nods numbly and plops down on the floor right where he’s standing and barely resists the urge to put his head in his hands. He wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

Zuko chokes down his dinner, an uncomfortable silence hanging over the room. Katara gets up when she’s finished eating and gathers a few crab rolls onto a plate before making her way to Sokka’s room. She stays in there for a long, long time.

That night, as Zuko lays in bed, moonlight shining through the window, he thinks about what Sokka said. But thinking doesn’t do him any good, because in the end he’s still confused and heartbroken. He can’t help the anger he feels at himself. He doesn’t have any right to feel heartbroken for something he didn’t have in the first place. Maybe heartbroken for what could have been, but there isn’t any point in dwelling on that.

He jumps when there’s a soft knock on the door. It sounds hesitant, and he knows immediately who is on the other side of the wood.

“Come in,” he mutters, because they need to talk about it at some point, right? Or is Sokka just here to let him down gently?

The door opens and Sokka quickly steps inside and shuts it. He stands there awkwardly for a few moments, looking unsure of himself, until Zuko sighs and scoots over on the bed, patting the empty space next to him. Sokka visibly hesitates before padding over. Zuko holds up the furs for him as he slips beneath them, laying on his side facing Zuko.

They stare at each other for a while, not talking. The moonlight from the window hits Sokka’s face, making him look ethereal. Zuko could stay awake all night just looking at him, bathed in moonlight, and never get tired of it. He swallows hard at the implications of that thought. Whatever Sokka has to say to him is going to hurt terribly because he let his feelings get so out of hand over the years. He never, ever should have let it go this far. It’s not fair to himself, or to Sokka, to want something that they could never have. That Sokka could never even  _ want _ to begin with. As Sokka finally opens his mouth to speak, Zuko panics.

“I—” Sokka starts, at the same time Zuko blurts out, “I’m sorry!”

Sokka’s face scrunches up in confusion and  _ fuck _ , now is not the time to think about how cute that is. “You’re sorry? For what? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Zuko opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water as he searches for the right words. Finally, he settles with, “You don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?” Sokka asks, sounding frustrated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zuko groans. “I know you don’t feel the same way about me as I feel about you,” he spits out.

Sokka jerks back like he’s been slapped. He sits up a little and props his cheek on his fist so that he can look down at Zuko. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Earlier, you said this wouldn’t work. Remember?” he asks bluntly.

“I remember,” Sokka says slowly, continuing to stare at him. Zuko squirms under his gaze.

“So I got the message.”

“You… got the message.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think you did,” Sokka says.

Zuko growls in frustration. “Really? Because I think you made it pretty clear that you don’t want to be with me.”

“I never said that,” Sokka shoots back calmly.

“You said that  _ we _ wouldn’t work! What else is that suppo—”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Zuko.”

Zuko’s words die in his throat and he snaps his mouth shut. His heart pounds against his chest and he forgets how to breathe. The only thought that makes it through the fog in his brain is  _ Sokka loves me? _

Sokka, oblivious to the turmoil he just caused, continues. “You’re the Fire Lord, though, and I’m going to be Chief one day. We aren’t like my dad and Bato.”

Zuko feels his heart breaking again, and he can’t take it anymore. Sokka’s words are giving him whiplash. He covers his face with his hands. “Sokka,” he says through his fingers, “just tell me what you want. Please.”

Sokka scoots closer to him and takes his wrists, gently pulling his hands away from his face. Zuko stubbornly leaves his eyes closed. “Zuko. Look at me, please,” Sokka whispers. Hesitantly, Zuko peeks open his good eye, then the other one. He’s floored by the way Sokka is looking at him, like he’s the only thing that matters in the world. “I want you,” he says reverently. “I just want you, and I’m tired of not having you.”

Zuko searches his eyes and hates the way he can feel tears gathering in his. “But you just said you can’t have me. We can’t do this.”

Sokka smiles at him and places a hand on his cheek. “Can’t we?” he asks gently, “Just for tonight?”

And how can Zuko say no to that?

He wraps his arms around Sokka’s waist and pulls until Sokka is settled comfortably between his legs. Sokka rests most of his weight on him and tucks his face in Zuko’s neck, breathing him in. Zuko turns his head and nudges Sokka’s cheek with his cold nose, asking for a kiss that he’s been waiting  _ years _ for.

When their lips meet, Zuko melts. He sighs into it, sinking into the mattress and into the kiss as he lets go of tension he has been holding onto since the moment he realized he was in love with Sokka. He buries his hands in Sokka’s hair and drags his blunt nails against his scalp. Sokka makes a little noise and presses even closer.

They stay like that all night, trading sweet kisses in the dark until they both fall asleep.

*

Zuko wakes up to Sokka curled against his chest, and decides that he is never getting out of bed.

Of course, that isn’t possible. He has to fly back to the Fire Nation today. It’s a long trip, one that he isn’t looking forward to in the slightest bit. But duty calls.

Sokka wakes up when Zuko gently dislodges him from his chest, whining that he was comfortable. Zuko rolls his eyes but can’t hold back a smile at Sokka’s whining, which is promptly silenced when Zuko presses a kiss to his forehead before getting up.

Sokka watches from the bed with mournful eyes as he gets dressed for the day and packs his meager belongings. He picks up his golden headpiece and decides to pack it with the rest of his things instead of wearing it home.

_ Home _ , he thinks bitterly. It sounds wrong to think of the yawning, empty hallways of his palace as home, when there’s a beautiful man looking at him like that in the soft light of morning right in front of him.

Sokka sits up and runs a hand over his face tiredly. “Do you want to eat before you leave?” he asks as he swings his legs off the bed.

“I’m not hungry,” Zuko mumbles, and Sokka nods like he understands.

The next half hour passes quickly after that. Zuko says his goodbyes to Bato and Hakoda while they’re eating breakfast, congratulating them and wishing them luck. Katara, Aang, and Sokka follow him outside of the city to where he left his airship. Once they reach it, he throws his things onto the deck haphazardly and turns around for the dreaded goodbyes to his friends.

Aang is the first to throw his arms around him. “Let me know if you ever need anything, okay? I’ll be there,” Aang says, lightly patting him on the back.

“I know,” he murmurs, smiling up at Aang as he pulls away. He ignores the fact that he has to look  _ up _ at him now.

Katara hugs him next, just as tight as she did when he arrived. “I’m sorry. For meddling,” she whispers in his ear. He chuckles and holds her tighter.

“It’s okay. You kind of helped, actually,” he says, and smirks when she yanks herself away and gives him a scandalized look. 

“I’ll ask Sokka for the details later,” she laughs, stepping back to give the man in question a chance to hug him, too.

Zuko holds out his arm to Sokka playfully, going for a water tribe handshake. Sokka stares at his arm in disbelief, but rolls his eyes once he sees the mirth dancing in Zuko’s eyes.

“Absolutely not,” Sokka chuckles as he wrenches Zuko towards him for a real hug. Zuko stumbles into Sokka with the force of it, laughing softly. He hugs his friend tightly, not knowing when he’ll be able to have his arms around him next. The uncertainty of it curls around his heart and his lungs and squeezes until it feels like he can’t breathe.

After what has probably been too long, Sokka steps away, clearing his throat as he does so.

“Write to me, okay?” Zuko asks, trying for a weak smile as he looks up at Sokka.

“Of course,” Sokka says easily, smiling back.

Zuko needs to leave, now, or he never will. He gives all three of them a nod, and walks backwards until he bumps into his airship. He climbs on and doesn’t look at them walking back to the city as he prepares the ship for flight.

He opens the door to the furnace and holds his hand out, ready to shoot a flame inside and ignite the coals. But something makes him stop, and look out at the three figures becoming smaller and smaller in the distance.

He doesn’t know what comes over him, but a second later he’s hopping out of the ship and sprinting towards them, yelling Sokka’s name and begging him to stop walking. Sokka turns around, startled, just in time for Zuko to crash into his chest. He lets out a little “Mmph!” as Zuko kisses him, hard. Their teeth clink together and they both have chapped lips from the cold, but it feels just as good as it did when they were in the privacy of the guest room last night. He feels Sokka’s arms circle his waist as the kiss softens into short, wet smacks of lips. Finally, Zuko pulls away, out of breath.

“Sokka,” he gasps out, “I know I’m the Fire Lord, and you’re supposed to be Chief someday, and we never see each other anymore. But I love you, and I want you to be with me. Please. Even if we can’t be together all the time, I just—”

Sokka cuts off his rambling with a kiss. “You have me,” he murmurs against Zuko’s lips. “You already have me.” 

“Okay. Good,” Zuko breathes. He takes a step back, because he  _ really _ should be leaving now. “You better write to me,” he says, pointing a finger at Sokka’s face.

Sokka grabs the hand in his face and squeezes it tightly. “I will,” he promises.

And he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the irony of sokka saying "let me get this straight" when talking about his dads very not straight relationship and his very not straight feelings for his best friend lol
> 
> i don't even know what this chapter is. it accidentally turned into an angst fest. i feel like them getting together was too dramatic and underwhelming at the same time (is that even a word?). i was in a super weird mood when i wrote this and i think it definitely shows in my writing. im sorry if some parts of this chapter dont make sense lol. anywho, hope you liked this story!


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